CHINESE COMMUNIST TRAVEL CONTROLS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A001700130005-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 19, 2002
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: July 23, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2004/10/12 : CIA-RDP80-0081OA001700130005-4
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
This Document contains information affecting the Na-
tional Defense of the United States, within the mean-
ing of Title 18, Sections 793 and 794, of the U.S. Code, as
amended. Its transmission or revelation of its contents
to or receipt by an unauthorized person is prohibited
by law. The reproduction of this form is prohibited.
SECRET
SECURITY INFORMATION
COUNTRY China/Hong Kong/Macao
SUBJECT Chinese Communist Travel Controls;
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REPORT NO.
DATE DISTR.
NO. OF PAGES
REQUIREMENT NO.
REFERENCES
THE SOURCE EVALUATIONS IN THIS REPORT ARE DEFINITIVE.
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
(FOR KEY SEE REVERSE)
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t,3 July 1953
4
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0
1e In December 1952 travellers who wished to go from the mainland to
Hong Kong were required to go first to the police station and
explain their reasons for going abroad. They were then given two
copies of an application form., to be filled out by one shop
guarantor or two personal guarantors., which they submitted to the
police station with two photographs. If the police approved the
applications., the permits were issued in one-half month to one
month. Applicants who were found to be suspicious were further
investigated and might wait three or four months before getting
their permits.
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STATE~Igc ARMY
x NAVY -Fr ;TA1R FBI
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2. A traveller who had a pewit to go from Canton to Hong Kong in December
could take the 0800 train from Canton to Shenchtuan, proceed to the
border search point, and wait there for the final check. Usually the
time for the final inspection was from 1000 to 1400 hours every day.
3.. In October 1952, a traveller leaving Shenchtuan for Hong Kong went
through the following pro edure
a. Stood in line for Chinese Communist officers to check his travel
certificate and to answer questions on the purpose of travel,
point of departure, destination, and identity. After questioning
the traveller, an officer signed the back of the travel certificate,
giving the date the holder passed through.
b. Went to the inspection office for an official seal of the Shenchtuan
inspection center to be stamped on the travel certificate.
c. Went to the tax office and had recorded on the travel certificate
all jewwels, watches, fountain pens, and other valuables. Gold.,
silver, or money could not be taken out of the country.
d. Presented baggage and belongings for inspection,
e. Presented his travel (certificate to the border guard post.
f.
On the Hong Kong side, went through th
was easy to pass through the British s
made previous arrangements at Shench'
proaching the guards
Th
wa
s of a
e British guard line. It
ide if the traveller had
uan with "guides.," who had
barge for "guiding" a
.
y
p
passenger safely to Hong Kong was HK
400, payable at Hong Kong
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4. In December 1952 a Communist squad leader at Shenchouan named HOU
(0186) (fnu) had connections with YUAN Piao (5913/2871), a member
of the Yellow ox organization (7806/3662/7825)., who made arrangements
for smuggling peop;e from the mainland to Hong Kong for HK $800 to HK
$1,000 per ps'rsou.'
5, In January :1953 there were two types of travel permits issued by'the
Chinese Communists, one for a one w,ra journey, or exit only, and one
fo,r a round trip, e i.t and re-entry. It was much more difficult to
leave the mainland than try enter, and a one way permit was relatively
difficult to obtain. A person who desired to leave the country had
to apply personally. The police screened the applicant and usually
delayed a long time before notifying him of the approval or disapproval
of his application. All exit and entry permits could be used but
once and were valid for a period of a few weeks only. The traveller
could be asked to show his permit to the authorities at any point
during his travel, on the mainland. When he reached his destination,
he had to surrender his permit to the issuing office. If he travelled
from Communist China to some point abroad, he was required to mail
the permit back to China.
25X1 XHong Kong to the mainland
6. In January it was not difficult for a person in Hong Kong to obtain
an entry permit to Communist China if he had relatives at his intended
destination. The prospective traveller wrote to his relative giving
particulars of his business or profession in Hong Kong and his
address in Hong Kong, requesting his relative to apply for an entry
permit for him. The relative took the letter to the local police
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station and registered and guaranteed the applicant. The police
mailed an application fora to the applicant-,.in Hong Kong who had
to fill out the form, sign it., affix his fingerprints., and return
it, with three photographs, to the issuing office. If the permit
was granted, the applicant usually received it about six weeks
after .,.returning the apps.. ca Lion form.
Travel Between the Mainland and HonR Kon ; and Macao
7. In early January l' 953 persons travelling between Communist China
and Hong Kong and Macao included fishermen transporting fresh fish
from inland waters for sale in the two colonies; crews of ships and
ferries sailing in inland waters; and those enroute for business or
family purposes.
E. Those authorized to trav,,:Nl between the mainland and Hong Kong and
Macao for business or family purposes were required in January to
hold one of three permits' a round trip permit., authorizing exit
from and re-entry to Communist China; a one way journey permit,
authorizing entry to China; or a one way journey permit., authorizing
exit from China. The round trip permit, issued by the police in the
city of the persons registered residence, contained notice of the
travel route to be used by the bearer.
9. While travelling , ,ry the train a passenger seldom had to present his
permit during any police or military inspection of the train,, and if
he carried either an identification card or a certificate of residence,
he was never required to present his permit. Police or military
authorities conducting train inspections considered Nationalist
identification Ardea issued prior to the Communist take-over as valid
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10. Anyone travelling from Canton to Kungpei (N 22..12,., E 113-32) on the
Macao-Canton ferry was required to present his travel permit to the
ferry company prior to purchasing his Macao ticket and was required
at the same time to convert his money into Hong Kong currency. No
one was permitted to take from Communist China any more than the
equivalent of HK $20 in Jen Min POiao. At Kungpei, the examination
station of the Kungpei Bqr Defense Bureau (2162/0554/670$/7089/
2914/2686/454) examined the traveller's permit and endorsed it with
signature and seal. if the permit was found to be satisfactory,
Customs officers at Kungpei conducted a thorough search of baggage
and enumerated all valuable personal possessions such as watches.,
fountain pens, and jewelry on a list form stamped on the reverse
side of the travel permit; they also counted all Hong Kong currency
carried by the traveller and registered the amount on the travel
permit. After completion of the examination and checks,, the traveller
was permitted to proceed to Macao,
11, Similar examinations and checks were conducted in cases of persons
entering China from Hong Kong and Macao at Kungpei, and of persons
leaving or entering China from Hong Kong at Shenchouan. Direct bus
service joined Macao, Shekki, and Canton,
12. If a person decided not to return to China at the expiration of the
time limit authorized on his travel permit,,.he was required to return
the travel permit by registered mail to his family in the city of his
former residence, asking the family to report his absence to the police
bureau with the request that the bureau delete his name from the census.
Failure to not. the bureau of one 0 s intention not to return to China
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by the end of the authorized period made it difficult for one to
obtain an entry permit to return to the city in the future?
13. Male adults of military age were seldom permitted to leave China.
A round trip permit generally required submission by the bearer
of the names of two guarantors. Should the traveller decide-not
to return to, China after his departure,, however,, the police would
reprimand or punish the guarantors only in rare instances. The
one way per?mi.t, issued generally only to women, children,, and men
above military age,, was surrendered at the examination station of
the Border Defense Bureau.
14. The round trip permit,, issued to Chinese residents of Hong Kong and
Macao and to overseas Chinese not registered in a mainland urban
census,, required the U,gt1ng of two "friends or relatives in the city,
of destination as guar?antor?s. The permit had to be returned by
mail if the time limit expired before its use.
Canton to Hong Ko
15. A merchant in Hong Kong arranged for the exit of his wife from
Canton to Hong Kong on 19 February 1953 by paying to a Communist
agent in Hong Kong HK $4,000 for his wife's passage. The wife
was taken from Canton to Foshan (N 23..02, E 113-06) to Chiangmen
(l 22-36,, E 113-06),, and then by boat to Macao. The Communist
agent stated. that he could arrange for the exit of any person
from Canton upon receiving; payment.
Travel in China
16. In January 1.953 travel was not strictly controlled within China if
one went from one large city to another. In rural China, however,
movement was limited. Anyone who wished to visit a village more
than 20 li distant and who wanted to remain for more than 24 hours
was required to report to the Farmers t Association in his own
village and apply for a permit. On reaching his dOstination the
traveller had to report to the police in that village. A traveller
caught without a permit would be accused of being a spy or guerrilla
and might be drafted into the army as punishment.
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25X1 A 2. the Yellow Ox organization in mid-1952
was .' c urging about HK $400 to take a person from Shench f uan to
Hong Kong and from HK $120 to HIS $300 to take a person from
Ma, ,,,;.,;:to Hong Kong.
3. Probably the information in paragraph 8 is more complete and
there are two types of one way journey permits,, one for exit
and one for entry.
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Approved For Release 2004/10/12 : CIA-RDP80-0081OA001700130005-4